Polar Pals (1939)

Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.Have a lot of respect for Bob Clampett and like Porky Pig very much (though he is not quite one of my favourite cartoon characters). 'Polar Pals' is luckily a good representation of both Clampett, where his imaginative visuals and wild humour is evident on top of other things, and Porky, always endearing and is well used as a lead character which is not always the case. The cute supporting characters and the villain are more interesting though.The change of tone from sweet to more violent and anarchic in typical Clampett style once the villain shows up is somewhat jarring, and there is no surprise as to how the cartoon is going to end. Other than that, there really isn't that much wrong with 'Polar Pals'.Even with the sweet, but thankfully not too saccharine, tone, Clampett's distinctively wacky style is evident throughout. Pacing is lively with momentum never lost and there are some fun, witty sight gags in the first half that are easy to relate to (and be educated by even).Mel Blanc is outstanding as always. He always was the infinitely more preferable voice for Porky, Joe Dougherty never clicked with me, and he proves it here. Blanc shows an unequalled versatility and ability to bring an individual personality to every one of his multiple characters in a vast majority of his work, there is no wonder why he was in such high demand as a voice actor. Billy Bletcher is great too, hard not to recognise his voice, the distinctive one that it is.Animation is excellent, it's fluid in movement, crisp in shading and very meticulous in detail. Ever the master, Carl Stalling's music is typically superb. It is as always lushly orchestrated, full of lively energy and characterful in rhythm, not only adding to the action but also enhancing it. The songs are really uplifting and put me in a good mood when needed.Summing up, very nicely done. 8/10 Bethany Cox

"Polar Pals" is a nice Porky Pig cartoon directed by the wacky Bob Clampett. At the North Pole, P-P-P-Porky is prompted to protect his "Polar Pals" from a sinister fur trapper.Highlights: A penguin doesn't get shot by the trapper but his shadow does, performing a hilarious death scene. The jazzy harmonized number about rubbing noses "like the Eskimoses" is so delightful you just have to hear it for yourselves. Porky sings "Singing in the Bathtub" with a bouncy walk and is hilarious when musically drying his fanny. Celebrating his victory against the trapper at the very end, Porky shouts "Whoopee!", then falls into thin ice.All of Porky's "Polar Pals" depend on him for p-p-protection, and that is p-p-p-precisely what he gives them. That fur trapper doesn't get too far before he gets his behind beaten very badly!

Throughout the late '30s, the Termite Terrace crowd mostly cast Porky Pig in pedestrian roles* trying to represent all walks of life (fireman, pilgrim, bullfighter). So "Polar Pals" is a real surprise. It features Porky living somewhere in the Arctic - according to a song, in a "nice land called Iceland" - and befriending the animals. He has a blanket made of live polar bears and takes what has to be the least pleasant shower ever (they even show Porky butt naked!).So anyway, the animals go about their daily business when a fur trapper named I. Killem arrives with the aim of turning all the fauna - possibly including Porky - into profits. I should admit that I guessed what the final gag was going to be, but everything preceding that made the whole cartoon worthwhile. Even in the direst of situations, Porky and friends know just how to entertain us.In conclusion, to play off of the title of another Porky Pig cartoon from 1939, I would call this "Cold Glory".*As any Looney Tunes fan probably knows, Daffy Duck got the really wacky roles.

How Porky Pig wound up living in an igloo at the North Pole it's not known, but we first find him snoring away in bed, buried under a ton of polar bear skins. It is so cold that his alarm clock has mittens on its hands, a coonskin cap on it's head and it blows on its hands before ringing!The "skins" wind up being actual Polar Bears and they jump off Porky when the alarm goes off, and head outside, except for a baby bear. Porky goes in to take a "b-b-b-b-b, ah, shower."Soon, the cartoon turns into a musical under the song "Let's Rub Noses Like the Eskimoses." Well, that's the 1930s for you with corny and funny lyrics and uplifting songs.Overall, this had a very innocent sweetness to it and a decent share of sight gags about what freezing weather can do and how you can make the best of it.....until a villain shows up: "I Killem, fur trapper." Then it gets violent.Overall, this is probably appealing more to kids but adults will get more than their share of laughs, too. The violence near the end was shocking in a few spots, and parents might have to explain a few things to their very young kids.